Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg back in talks over Ping
After having balked at social networking site Facebook's "onerous" terms for Apple's Ping social music service, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs may now be ready to work with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, with a new report claiming that the two recently met for dinner to discuss Ping.
In a rare move, Jobs invited Zuckerberg to his house for dinner about two weeks ago to talk about Apple's fledgeling social music discovery service, the Los Angeles Times reports. The two were reportedly spotted "on a stroll" in Palo Alto that same night. The meeting is seen as a positive sign that Apple and Facebook are resuming talks over Facebook integration for Ping.
When the Cupertino, Calif., company launched its Ping service on Sept. 1, allowing users to "follow" artists and friends and see what they're listening to, users were surprised to find that Ping was not tied in to Facebook despite initial evidence to the contrary. Apple VP Phil Schiller had said in an interview that users would be able to use Facebook to find their friends on Ping, and a Facebook connect button for Ping in iTunes was first made available then blocked shortly after release.
When questioned by BoomTown's Kara Swisher the day after the service launched, Jobs responded that the terms demanded by Facebook had been unacceptable. Privately, Facebook executives told Swisher that they were frustrated with the similarity of Ping's layout and color scheme to their own site.
Publicly, Facebook responded with a statement: "Facebook believes in connecting people with their interests and we've partnered with innovative developers around the world who share this vision," the company said. "Facebook and Apple have cooperated successfully in the past to offer people great social experiences and we look forward to doing so in the future."
Several weeks later, a rumor emerged that Apple's iTunes team had been in talks with Facebook for 18 months before negotiations broke down.
Facebook Chief Technology Officer Bret Taylor then told media representatives at the end of September that he remained "very confident" that the two companies will find a way to work with Apple. The dinner meeting between Jobs and Zuckerberg suggests that progress has indeed been made.
Although the service attracted more than a million users in its first 48 hours, Ping has not been particularly well-received by critics. Reviewers for several major publications, such as the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek, found the new service disappointing. A number of improvements to the service, which Apple issued in an update to iTunes, were received favorably, although the general consensus remained that Apple's attempt at 'going social' still had a long way to go.
In a rare move, Jobs invited Zuckerberg to his house for dinner about two weeks ago to talk about Apple's fledgeling social music discovery service, the Los Angeles Times reports. The two were reportedly spotted "on a stroll" in Palo Alto that same night. The meeting is seen as a positive sign that Apple and Facebook are resuming talks over Facebook integration for Ping.
When the Cupertino, Calif., company launched its Ping service on Sept. 1, allowing users to "follow" artists and friends and see what they're listening to, users were surprised to find that Ping was not tied in to Facebook despite initial evidence to the contrary. Apple VP Phil Schiller had said in an interview that users would be able to use Facebook to find their friends on Ping, and a Facebook connect button for Ping in iTunes was first made available then blocked shortly after release.
When questioned by BoomTown's Kara Swisher the day after the service launched, Jobs responded that the terms demanded by Facebook had been unacceptable. Privately, Facebook executives told Swisher that they were frustrated with the similarity of Ping's layout and color scheme to their own site.
Publicly, Facebook responded with a statement: "Facebook believes in connecting people with their interests and we've partnered with innovative developers around the world who share this vision," the company said. "Facebook and Apple have cooperated successfully in the past to offer people great social experiences and we look forward to doing so in the future."
Several weeks later, a rumor emerged that Apple's iTunes team had been in talks with Facebook for 18 months before negotiations broke down.
Facebook Chief Technology Officer Bret Taylor then told media representatives at the end of September that he remained "very confident" that the two companies will find a way to work with Apple. The dinner meeting between Jobs and Zuckerberg suggests that progress has indeed been made.
Although the service attracted more than a million users in its first 48 hours, Ping has not been particularly well-received by critics. Reviewers for several major publications, such as the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek, found the new service disappointing. A number of improvements to the service, which Apple issued in an update to iTunes, were received favorably, although the general consensus remained that Apple's attempt at 'going social' still had a long way to go.
Comments
...or something???
???
There's a win win here: Apple has the music, Facebook has the social network.
Personally, I wish Steve Jobs would squash Mark Zuckerberg like a bug.
Please explain why???
Please explain why???
Probably just envy.
Personally, I wish Steve Jobs would squash Mark Zuckerberg like a bug.
He should moiderize him! Nyuck nyuck nyuck!
But seriously, is this really personal? One man squashing another man?
Hey - this is business. Facebook ain't gonna let in Apple unless it is in the best interest of Facebook to do so. Apple needs to offer them enough to inspire Faceook to say "Yes".
And Apple has not yet done so.
Personally, I wish Steve Jobs would squash Mark Zuckerberg like a bug.
I second that. Facebook is the devil. I for once would love to use something that has no tie to Facebook. You are almost forced to have a Facebook account these days.
I second that. Facebook is the devil. I for once would love to use something that has no tie to Facebook. You are almost forced to have a Facebook account these days.
Squashing him like a bug is too good for him.
Steve should have tied him to a stake, and slowly flayed his flesh off his bones using a rusty melon baller. Or maybe - get this - he could have taken him to a big cliff, tied him up, and dangled him over until he agrees to let Apple in on the Faceook thing! Or maybe do the same thing, but from a huge bridge!
I know! Put him in a room with 3 big ugly guys, one of them holding a meat cleaver, and the other two holding his hand on top of a big butcher's block. Steve could then walk in, dramatically back-lit, and offer him the choice of keeping all his fingers. That would be sweet!
</sarcasm>
I second that. Facebook is the devil. I for once would love to use something that has no tie to Facebook. You are almost forced to have a Facebook account these days.
Just use an avatar for the account
Squashing him like a bug is too good for him.
Steve should have tied him to a stake, and slowly flayed his flesh off his bones using a rusty melon baller. Or maybe - get this - he could have taken him to a big cliff, tied him up, and dangled him over until he agrees to let Apple in on the Faceook thing! Or maybe do the same thing, but from a huge bridge!
I know! Put him in a room with 3 big ugly guys, one of them holding a meat cleaver, and the other two holding his hand on top of a big butcher's block. Steve could then walk in, dramatically back-lit, and offer him the choice of keeping all his fingers. That would be sweet!
Yeah, couldn't agree more!! What an intelligent post!!!! I bet you post a lot on MacDailyNews, don't you, because that site is FULL of real intelligent posts like yours??
Well thanks again. You represent the typical Apple Fanatic very well !! Run along now and pray in front of the Steve Jobs' pictures you have pasted on the walls of your bedroom!
Yeah, couldn't agree more!! What an intelligent post!!!! I bet you post a lot on MacDailyNews, don't you, because that site is FULL of real intelligent posts like yours??
Well thanks again. You represent the typical Apple Fanatic very well !! Run along now and pray in front of the Steve Jobs' pictures you have pasted on the walls of your bedroom!
I was being sarcastic. I should have used the mock-HTML tags. I'll go back and edit.
I'd be more intrigued to see Ping connected with Twitter. Guy on Reddit said Ping should simply be a way to let people know what your #nowplaying is and I totally agree. You shouldn't be able to follow someone on Ping, but rather you'd follow them on Twitter to see their Pings when they send them. Making it more personal than about what some band is up to. There are already many ways to see what bands are up to.
Ping should simply be a Twitter application. Ping button in iTunes pings out your #nowplaying to Twiiter. Simple. People see what song you're currently playing in iTunes and have a short link to sample it and perhaps buy it. That should be the whole Ping service. Nothing more. The last we all need is "another" social network.
And in turn a Facebook application too, that does the same as the Twitter app. People would use that.
When you click on Ping for the first time you are asked to add your Twitter and/or FB login details, and done. That's Ping.
Apple aren't being overly-ambitious, they are being overly-complex by making Ping one more annoying service. Tying Ping into Twitter (and FB) is a much nicer idea.
PS: I developed a social music platform myself which I believe is similar to what Apple were trying to achieve with iTunes, if you need help Apple I would be more than willing to get out of cold England what with winter approaching
PS: I developed a social music platform myself which I believe is similar to what Apple were trying to achieve with iTunes, if you need help Apple I would be more than willing to get out of cold England what with winter approaching
So you made the same mistake as them?
So you made the same mistake as them?
Ha yeah, kinda, I was let down by the guy I was partnering with. I did my side of the bargain, designed the UI, data model, and some of the code relevant to my skill set. And after a year of waiting he did.. nothing, except break promises.
Was pretty cool though with features that are only now being implemented on competing services, and some which are still to materialise. It was way ahead at the time.
I'd be more intrigued to see Ping connected with Twitter. Guy on Reddit said Ping should simply be a way to let people know what your #nowplaying is and I totally agree. You shouldn't be able to follow someone on Ping, but rather you'd follow them on Twitter to see their Pings when they send them. Making it more personal than about what some band is up to. There are already many ways to see what bands are up to.
Ping should simply be a Twitter application. Ping button in iTunes pings out your #nowplaying to Twiiter. Simple. People see what song you're currently playing in iTunes and have a short link to sample it and perhaps buy it. That should be the whole Ping service. Nothing more. The last we all need is "another" social network.
And in turn a Facebook application too, that does the same as the Twitter app. People would use that.
http://brandon.fuller.name/archives/...ng/itunes/mac/
Personally, I wish Steve Jobs would squash Mark Zuckerberg like a bug.
Yea that kid is a dirt bag. I wouldn't have him step foot in my house before being thoroughly washed in a concentrated solution of Hydrochloric Acid, or any other solution than may be capable of washing off nuclear waste.
But unseriously, they should turn it into a online Chinese food delivery service. The name already kinda works. "24 hours or less delivery to anywhere in the world."